City · Comunidad Foral de Navarra · All places
A walled and orderly well-off city that turns into a nine-day party in July and is quietly well-run the rest of the year.
Pamplona (Iruña in Basque) is the capital of Navarra, in the north of Spain, on a plateau between the Pyrenees and the Ebro valley. Its centre is a walled old town with a big citadel and parks, surrounded by modern, wide-avenued neighbourhoods and an industrial belt.
To the world, it is the city of the running of the bulls. For the people who live here, it is a clean, well-organised city of about the right size, with good public services, a strong economy and easy access to mountains, with a calm routine broken once a year by San Fermín.
The city has 209,094 residents (2025). Residents born abroad make up 22.6% (2025).
Data as of · the latest figures cover Jun 2026
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What the data says
Pamplona stands out for prosperity, healthcare and climate; it is weaker on connectivity and safety. A typical 70 m² rental costs about €555 a month (2024).
Who it suits, 0 to 100
Practical conclusions we draw from Pamplona’s figures. They are inferences, not official statistics: each says what it rests on.
You will meet English speakers, mostly in the centre and at international employers. Shops, landlords and schools expect Spanish. Contracts, the town hall and most doctors work in Spanish or Basque.
Basque (in the north of the region) is an official language alongside Spanish. Expect it on signs, at the town hall and in state schools.
Thefts without violence happen 2.2 times as often as in the typical Spanish city. Keep phones and bags close in busy areas and on public transport.
People born abroad are in work less often than people born in Spain across Comunidad Foral de Navarra. Remote income or a job offer makes the move far easier.
Almost every home can get gigabit fibre, so working from home is not a gamble on the flat you pick.
Pintxos, chistorra, stewed pochas beans, piquillo peppers, Roncal cheese and pacharán.
Orderly and routine-minded, with a lot of walking, cycling and neighbourhood bars.
Pintxo bars on Calle San Nicolás and Estafeta, the Plaza del Castillo terraces and student nights around the university.
The walled old town, the nineteenth-century Ensanches, the smart Iturrama and the new Mendebaldea.
Spanish and Basque, with Basque co-official in the city and stronger in the north of Navarra.
San Fermín in the first half of July, with San Saturnino in November as the winter fiesta.
Reserved, loyal and hard-working, with a strong tradition of clubs and peñas.
Pamplona has two personalities. For most of the year it is polite, tidy and discreet, a city of bicycles, parks and neighbourhood bars. The Ciudadela, a star-shaped citadel, is a park where families walk and students meet, and the Taconera gardens have deer. The old town has narrow streets with excellent pintxo bars, especially on Calle San Nicolás and Calle Estafeta, and the Café Iruña on the Plaza del Castillo keeps its Hemingway legend.
In early July, the city explodes. San Fermín brings a week of processions, music, fireworks and the daily bull run through the old streets, and the whole population dresses in white with a red scarf. Ernest Hemingway made the festival famous, and visitors come from everywhere. Locals have deep feelings about it, whether they love or avoid it, and many who live in the old town leave for the week.
The city is also a place of walkers and cyclists, with a long green belt along the Arga river, and the surroundings are green: beech forests and valleys to the north, vineyards to the south. The Baluarte auditorium and the Navarre Museum give the city a cultural base, and Osasuna fills El Sadar stadium on match days. Food leans to the meat and vegetables of the Ebro valley and the mountains.
Pamplona was the capital of the Kingdom of Navarre, which guarded the western Pyrenees. It later sat on the main pilgrim road to Santiago, and the old town still feels like a fortified crossroads. Its prosperity today owes a lot to Navarra's own tax arrangement, which lets the region collect its taxes and spend them locally, and to a large car plant and other industry around the city.
The private University of Navarra, with its renowned clinic, and the public university make it an education and health centre. Prosperity comes out strong and healthcare strong, and life expectancy is 84.5 years (2023). Household income per person is €18,751 a year (2024), unemployment is 8.5% (2025), and adults with a university degree make up 56% (2024).
The safety figures are the awkward part. Recorded crime is 74.1 per 1,000 people (2024), and safety comes out weak. Sexual offences stand at 1.12 per 1,000 people (2024), the highest of any large Spanish city. Some of that comes from the festival, the bar districts at weekends and student nights, where crowds far larger than the resident count are counted against residents, and from a high level of reporting, but it is a real concern and not just a statistic.
Housing is not cheap for northern Spain. A typical 70 m² flat rents for about €555 a month (2024), and buying costs €2,695 per square metre (Q2 2026). Housing comes out average. The city's own airport has very few routes, and the nearest main airport is 116 km away (2026).
Figures for Pamplona itself, not its region. Each shows the period it covers.
Each card uses Pamplona data only and compares it with similar cities. Open “Why this score?” to see the measures behind it.
Prosperity is strong: in the top quarter of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Household income per person: 18,751 € a year per person — better than 88% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Strong: 88 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Household income per personPamplona · 2024 | 18,751 € a year per person | better than 88% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Healthcare is strong: in the top quarter of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Life expectancy: 84.5 years — better than 86% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Strong: 86 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancyPamplona · 2023 | 84.5 years | better than 86% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Climate is above average: in the top 10% of major European cities.
Nights above 20 °C: 0.60 nights a year — better than 86% of major European cities
Above average: 73 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)Pamplona · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 90.6 days a year | better than 70% of major European cities |
| Days above 35 °CPamplona · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 0.60 days a year | better than 64% of major European cities |
| Nights above 20 °CPamplona · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 0.60 nights a year | better than 86% of major European cities |
Transport is above average: in the top 10% of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Commute by car: 53.6% — better than 76% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Above average: 67 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Average commute (one way)Pamplona · 2021 | 37.1 minutes | better than 65% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Commute by carPamplona · 2021 | 53.6% | better than 76% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Commute by public transportPamplona · 2021 | 15.0% | better than 60% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Digital is above average: better than most Spanish cities above 50,000.
5G coverage: 100% — better than 85% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Above average: 62 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Homes that can get gigabit internetPamplona · 2025 | 98.8% | better than 61% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Homes with fibre to the doorPamplona · 2025 | 98.2% | better than 45% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| 5G coveragePamplona · 2025 | 100% | better than 85% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Jobs is around the middle: around the middle of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Unemployment: 8.48% — better than 76% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Average: 54 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| UnemploymentPamplona · 2025 | 8.48% | better than 76% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Unemployment, change in a yearPamplona · 2025 | -0.06 points | better than 21% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Housing is around the middle compared with similar cities.
Not ranked: too little comparable evidence yet.
House prices, change in a year: 4.51% — better than 98% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Average: 48 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Rent per m²Pamplona · 2024 | 7.93 €/m² a month | better than 47% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Buying price per m²Pamplona · 2026-Q2 | 2,695 €/m² | better than 37% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Rent growth a year, over 3 yearsPamplona · 2024 | 5.88% | better than 20% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| House prices, change in a yearPamplona · 2026-Q2 | 4.51% | better than 98% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Safety is weak: in the bottom 10% of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Sexual offences: 1.12 per 1,000 people — worse than 100% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Weak: 13 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| HomicidesPamplona · 2025 | 2.87 per 100k people | better than 8% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Recorded crimePamplona · 2024 | 74.1 per 1,000 people | better than 10% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| RobberiesPamplona · 2025 | 203 per 100k people | better than 16% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| BurglariesPamplona · 2025 | 150 per 100k people | better than 29% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Sexual offencesPamplona · 2024 | 1.12 per 1,000 people | better than 0% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| TheftsPamplona · 2025 | 2,561 per 100k people | better than 8% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Vehicle theftsPamplona · 2025 | 36.3 per 100k people | better than 73% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Connectivity is weak: in the bottom 10% of major European cities.
Distance to the main airport: 116 km — worse than 100% of major European cities
Weak: 0 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Distance to the main airportPamplona · 2026-10-21 | 116 km | better than 0% of major European cities |
What we cannot score for Pamplona yet
Highs around 26° in August, lows around 2° in January. 91 pleasant days a year (dry, 18–28 °C).
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8.7°C | 1.9°C | 124 mm |
| February | 10.8°C | 3.0°C | 101 mm |
| March | 13.0°C | 4.2°C | 91 mm |
| April | 15.5°C | 5.9°C | 76 mm |
| May | 18.7°C | 9.2°C | 70 mm |
| June | 22.6°C | 12.7°C | 81 mm |
| July | 25.2°C | 14.5°C | 45 mm |
| August | 25.9°C | 14.8°C | 53 mm |
| September | 22.6°C | 12.6°C | 88 mm |
| October | 19.2°C | 9.9°C | 87 mm |
| November | 13.1°C | 6.0°C | 150 mm |
| December | 11.0°C | 4.0°C | 111 mm |
Pamplona has a mild, damp, continental climate with Atlantic influence. Summers are warm and pleasant, with some hot days; winters are cold and often foggy, with frost and occasional snow. Rainfall is 1,077 mm a year (2015–2024), and rain days run at 160 a year (2015–2024).
Frost days are 17 a year (2015–2024). Very hot days: 1 a year (2015–2024). Pleasant days, mild and dry, number 91 a year (2015–2024).
It is a year-round city: summer festivals and long evenings are the highlights, and winters are for people who accept cold and grey weather, with the ski resorts of the Pyrenees within two hours. The city is green because it rains often, and good winter clothes and heating are not optional.
Lines start with Spain; switch the others on to compare.
43/100 · average · 84th of 106 Spanish cities above 50,000
8.5% in 2025
4.5% in Q2 2026
€7.9 per m² a month in 2024
€2,695 per m² in Q2 2026
84.5 years in 2023
Facts about the people who live in Pamplona. Shown as context only: none of this changes a score.
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Fit from the data, 0 to 100, against other Spanish cities. Open a group to see the figures behind it.
San Fermín, pintxo bars, a good music scene in summer and the Baluarte auditorium. A quieter calendar the rest of the year.
Nothing stands out.
Not measured yet: Lifestyle, Walk most.
A solid job market in industry, health, education and the public sector, at good salaries. The nightlife is modest outside festival days.
Nothing stands out.
Not measured yet: Jobs in high-tech sectors, Lifestyle, Median gross salary, Youth unemployment (15–24).
Two universities and a friendly city with a lively bar scene and a very big week in July.
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Cycle most, Education, Lifestyle, Price level vs EU average, Walk most, Youth unemployment (15–24).
A stable regional tax arrangement, industrial skills and public support for business. The local market is small.
Nothing stands out.
Not measured yet: Jobs in high-tech sectors, Regulatory quality.
Quality schools and clinics, quiet neighbourhoods and a favourable regional tax environment. Few luxury options.
Not measured yet: Average dwelling size, Education, Environment, Income tax and social security, average earner, Total tax on labour, average earner.
Excellent healthcare and a flat, tidy city, but winters are cold and wet, and the coast is far away.
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Doctors, Environment, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂).
A well-served city with good schools, parks and health care, and a green belt along the river. Recorded crime and housing costs give some families pause.
Not measured yet: 15-year-olds' maths (PISA), Average dwelling size, Childcare availability, Education, Environment, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Pre-primary participation.
Moderate costs and strong public services, but prices above those of much of the interior and rents that have risen.
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Households spending >40% of income on housing, Price level vs EU average.
Fast connections and a high quality of life, but few other remote workers, and flights are limited to a small local airport.
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Fixed broadband penetration, Lifestyle.
Pyrenean walks and ski resorts within two hours, the Irati forest and the Camino de Santiago on the doorstep. No beach, and many wet days.
Not measured yet: Environment, Fine-particle pollution (PM2.5), Lifestyle, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Strong-wind days.
Taxes, residency and the wider economy are set nationally, so they are the same in Pamplona as anywhere in Spain.
Guide written 2026-10-22. Figures are refreshed as new official data is published; the period beside each number says what it covers. “Our read” cards are our inferences from those figures. How we score
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